The Spotsylvania man whom a jury found guilty Thursday of forcibly sodomizing a 15-year-old boy could spend 23 years in jail.
The jury recommended Cecil Lamont Bryant, 43, spend 20 years on the sodomy conviction, two years for distributing marijuana to a juvenile and one year for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely said a pre-sentence report will be made for Bryant's formal sentencing in April.
Bryant was charged last July after the 15-year-old reported to police that he had been sexually assaulted by Bryant, who first got him drunk and high on marijuana.
Bryant held throughout the jury trial that the sexual encounter was consensual, but after a daylong trial, he was found guilty.
--Ellen Biltz
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 2/23/2008
I understand what you're saying about all victims getting their "fair shot" Corupt, and I don't necessarily disagree with you. But keep in mind too that our "justice system" has different goals for adults & juveniles. It sees the 40+yr-old sex offender as someone who can't be helped & the 15-yr-olds as people who maybe can.
What is most important(posted by
CoruptGov
, Feb. 23, 2008 12:19 pm)
Is that any victim of any crime be fairly represented by the Justice System and priority not be given to one crime more than another when is comes to representing the law and the damaged caused.
With that said(posted by
CoruptGov
, Feb. 23, 2008 12:15 pm)
The justice system in this case fought hard to get a somewhat reasonable sentence for the crime against a child. On the flip side of that coin, the justice system allowed four criminals to walk away, leaving the victim wondering why, and having to go through another legal battle to try to recover what she lost in the crime. Did Neely cover these for the media attention. Why not have another Commonwealth Attorney step in a represent Justice and push to punish the kids with more than a slap on the wrist.
Further(posted by
CoruptGov
, Feb. 23, 2008 12:11 pm)
The message this sends to these immature brats confirms their belief that they are invinsible, even to the justice system. This attitude will land at least one (if not more) of them in trouble with the law again. The problem with the Justice System is that one crime here was not fairly punishable, it is not about comparing apples to oranges. True one crime will have a much longer lasting impact on the victim and it also involved physical harm.
Katie,(posted by
CoruptGov
, Feb. 23, 2008 12:04 pm)
Do you work for the Justice System? Certainly the crime committed that sodomized this child was terrible and unacceptable, the victim may get what he is do - 23 years in prison. The victim will certainly never get over it and probably wishes this monster would stay in prison all his life. The act of vandalism (hate crime in this case) went severely unpunished. The victim must remember this also and wonder why such uneducated fools may go around and get away with this pure hatred.
